Born
on November 2, 1835 in Scotland, Andrew Carnegie migrated to the Pittsburgh area in 1848
with his family and found work as a bobbin boy at a cotton factory. He left the
factory in favor of other jobs, to include secretary and telegraph operator for
the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Pittsburgh division. Carnegie
surpassed his boss and went on to make lucrative investments in the oil, coal,
and steel industries. He created his own steel company in the 1870’s and
amassed a fortune over the next 2 decades, eventually selling the company to
John Pierpont Morgan in 1901 for $480 million. The sale of Carnegie Steel propelled
Andrew Carnegie to become one of the richest men in the world.
After
selling off his company, Carnegie retired from the business world and turned
his attentions to giving back to the community. He was a firm believer that the
rich had a moral obligation to use their money to promote the welfare of the
common man and published an essay on the matter titled The Gospel of Wealth. As an avid reader, one of his philanthropic
activities included opening more than 2500 libraries world-wide, one of which
was the Dickinson Public Library in North Dakota.
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| Original library |
Planning for the Dickinson
library began in 1908 when original board members John F. Davis, Dr. V. H.
Stickney, Father Robstenick, R.H. Johnson, and W.L. Richards drafted a proposal
to Carnegie for the library. They estimated the cost at $15,000, but that amount
was reduced to and funded from a grant of $12,500. To pay the difference, a tax
was submitted to the townspeople and passed. Butler & Soules won the contract
to build and the library opened on January 3, 1910, with Josephine Hargrave the
1st librarian, earning $60 each month. The Commercial Club donated
most of the books that made up the library’s original collection.
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| Original sign |
In 1939, a west wing, to
include a full basement, was added. At the same time, the interior received a
new floor and light fixtures. The library was again renovated in 1956, and in
1975, an east wing was added. In 2007, after years of planning and raising
money due to voters nixing a tax increase for upgrades and continual
restoration, ground was broken to again expand the library. Original woodwork
and tin ceilings were transformed back to their original beauty, with the historic
entrance featuring the original cast stone steps, cast stone lettering above
the door referencing the 1908 construction date, and the original ‘Public
Library’ sign. The Dickinson Library was added to the National Register of
Historic Places in 2008.
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| Interior |
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| Interior |
*** Some photos provided by
my good friend, Mike Pursley
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